Archives for June 2018

June 28, 2018 by: Lesli

5 Educational Things to Do in Florida with Kids

The Sunshine State is a place of fun, adventure, and beautiful beaches. Enjoy these things to do in Florida with kids to make your travels a fun adventure for everyone.

One of our favorite travel guide publishers, Moon Travel Guides, has sponsored this post. We love their Moon Florida guide and recommend it to any family planning a getaway to the Sunshine State! Find the Moon Florida travel guide at this link.

There’s no better place to get your hands dirty and investigate the science of nature than the state of Florida. It’s chock full of museums, eco-tours, history, and life. There’s something living everywhere you look!

What do you do with your kids to broaden their worlds and keep their minds engaged when you’re in Florida? Check out our list of educational things to do in Florida with kids.

Things to do in Florida with Kids #1

Silver Springs State Park

A trip to Silver Springs is a trip back in time. Long before Florida became a tourist destination, the springs in the central parts of the state were essential to life for the Native Americans. With crystal clear drinking water and abundant life, these springs made life possible for many generations. When development first came to the state, Silver Springs became a central point for relaxation and movie sets.

Thankfully, we can still enjoy Florida’s first tourist attraction. Your family can get a look at the Florida of yesteryear and see the richness of natural life in the springs at Silver Springs State Park.

Silver Springs was once a tourist park, but in recent years the state has been working to return the park to its natural beauty. Your family can get close to nature through canoeing, kayaking, and a trip on the famous Glass Bottom Boats.

The Glass Bottom Boats were a hit for our crew when we visited the park. They loved seeing pieces from movie sets of long ago, and the canoe from over two hundred years ago! They also loved watching for manatees and alligators as we cruised through the dense Floridian forest on our sailing down the Silver River.

Things to do in Florida with Kids #2

St. Augustine

What is it like to live life as a Spanish soldier in the 1600s? How do you build a wall out of sea shells to protect an entire garrison? How does it feel to sail in a ship like the Spanish explorers?

Your family will find answers to these questions, and many more, in the city of St. Augustine. One of Florida’s first European settlements and the oldest continually occupied, St. Augustine and the Castillo de San Marcos are a sight to behold. The city of St. Augustine is home to 36 reconstructed buildings, including the Government House and other colonial buildings.

The fort is located on the mouth of the Matanzas River and was completed in 1695. It’s been the center of multiple battles between Spaniards and British, Union and Confederate, and several other nationalities over the course of its lifetime.

A tour of the city, the fort, and the amazing lighthouse that stands on the Salt Run will give your family a good look at a center of development for the state of Florida.

Things to do in Florida with Kids #3

Visit a Science Center

For those rainy Florida afternoons, you can’t beat hanging out at a science center with your family. From Pensacola to Miami, Florida has a plethora of fun and educational science centers for your family. Our favorites for an afternoon of fun and learning are listed here:

– Pensacola MESS Hall

The Pensacola MESS Hall is an atypical museum. The whole design of the museum has been created to get kids involved and personal with math, engineering, science, and stuff.

– Emerald Coast Science Center

The Emerald Coast Science Center is a hands-on center with a STEM Makerspace, animal encounters, adn touchable, workable exhibits.

– Museum of Science and History – MOSH – Jacksonville

With a planetarium and animals native to Northeast Florida, there’s something for everyone at Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History.

– Kennedy Space Center

Just up the coast from the launchpad for the Space Shuttle and other NASA rockets, Kennedy Space Center takes your family on a journey through the space program of the USA. No study of NASA or space is complete without a visit to the Kennedy Space Center!

– Orlando Science Center

As one of the oldest and most awarded science centers in Florida, the Orlando Science Center seeks to inspire a life of scientific exploration for each student. Your family will find exhibits on technology, health science, STEM ideas, and much more at this distinguished destination.

– MOSI

As a STEAM Learning center in the heart of Tampa, the Museum of Science and Industry is a scientific playground for your family. The museum boasts more than 100 activities to get your hands on, and a planetarium onsite.

*Heads up: MOSI is currently working to relocate to a new site in downtown Tampa. MAKE SURE you check the address before you visit!

– Clearwater Marine Aquarium

– As the home of Winter and Hope, stars of Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is an interesting place for your whole family to visit. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the work the Aquarium does to protect and rescue the creatures that make Tampa Bay their home.

– South Florida Museum

A history museum, manatee rescue center and aquarium, and planetarium all rolled into one make the South Florida Museum a strong learning experience for all involved. As the former home of Snooty, the longest living manatee in human care, the Museum is dedicated to the care and preservation of these incredible creatures.

– Loggerhead Marinelife Center

As a facility dedicated to protecting and preserving the amazing Loggerhead sea turtle, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is an incredible place to learn. Check out one of the guided experiences for a learning opportunity your family won’t forget! Check out the homeschool classes each year for themed marine science classes.

– Museum of Science and Discovery

Fort Lauderdale’s hands-on learning experience will be a delight to your children. They will learn about native Floridian habitats and creatures, take a simulated airboat ride through the Everglades, and even learn about the forces of wind and hurricanes. The highlight of the trip will definitely be the two-story otter exhibit, especially if you have a tween girl!

– South Florida Science Center and Aquarium

Based in West Palm Beach, the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is an incredible science center for families in South Florida. With everything from a laser light show to coral reef explorations, your students will learn about their world from the minute they cross the threshold.

Things to do in Florida with Kids #4

Hang out on the beach

Over 1,260 miles of coastline make up the borders of this state, and there’s something to learn with every mile. On the Atlantic side of the state, migrations of hundreds upon hundreds of sharks occur every year. Over on the Gulf side, there’s a strong possibility of daily dolphin views.

Beaches are idyllic locations for family getaways and fun, but they are also incredible learning locations. It’s one of the few places in the world where everyone can get super close to animals in their natural environments and share their space, most of the time without worrying about injuries.

Beaches are teeming with life. From sea turtle nests to coquinas and sand crabs, life is everywhere around you. In the water, you’ve got everything from tiny minnows to some of the largest creatures on earth. Florida’s beaches make wonderful learning getaway locations.

Things to do in Florida with Kids #5

Take a ride on a bay

Along with beaches, the many bays along the Florida coastline are also filled with life. The shallow bays host grasses that nourish life in abundance. Our favorite bay to visit and learn in is Sarasota Bay. Sarasota Bay earns a place on the list of educational places to visit for several reasons.

The first is the Mote Marine Laboratory. The Mote is a research lab, educational center, and rehab facility in one. Your family can spend hours with the Mote learning about sea life and research.

Our favorite part of a visit to the Mote is the Sarasota Bay boat ride. The pontoon boat will take you and your crew across the bay to one of the small islands along the coast. You’ll see birds and crabs, listen to details about life on the island, and have a chance to dip your toes into the bay. On the way back to the dock, the crew of the boat will drag a net behind you for a few minutes. Once the net is back in the boat, you’ll get a front-row seat to life in the Bay. On our trips, we’ve seen several types of crabs, muscles, a tiny octopus, and even a baby stingray!

The second reason Sarasota Bay is on the list is the depth of the water. Many places in the bay are only 4 to 12 feet deep. If you’re in the area during a month when the water is clearer, you can see straight to the bottom of the bay! Take a jet ski or a boat ride out for a couple hours, and you’ll be able to see all types of life right below you. The fun part is when the dolphins chase the same fish you’re observing.

Florida is a place many families visit for sun and relaxation. It’s also a place filled with learning opportunities to keep your children’s minds engaged and thinking. You won’t go wrong with these things to do in Florida with kids that keep them learning.

More Learning through Travel:

Travel can help children face their fears and grow strong emotionally. Learn 7 ways to help your child with scary challenges during travel.

7 Ways to Help Kids Face Their Fears While Traveling – Travel can help children face their fears and grow strong emotionally. Learn 7 ways to help your child with scary challenges during travel.

10 Amazing Life Lessons Our Kids Learned in Alaska – 10 Amazing life lessons our children learned on our Alaskan adventure.

June 8, 2018 by: Lesli

7 Ways to Help Children Face Their Fears While Traveling

Travel is a wonderful way for a family to bond, for children to learn, and to create lasting family memories. Travel is also an incredible way to help children face their fears and overcome them.

One of our favorite travel guide publishers, Moon Travel Guides, has sponsored this post. We love their Moon Vancouver guide and recommend it to any family planning a getaway to British Columbia! Find the Moon Vancouver book at this link.

We were on the verge of mutiny and dangling 400 feet in the air. “This seemed like a good idea online.” I thought. All five of us were shuffling our way across the Capilano Suspension Bridge just north of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Getting ready to get on the bridge!

It was a warm, sunny day with patchy blue skies, and we were surrounded by the gorgeous old forest. 400 feet below us was a shallow river with pretty waterfalls and a gravel bed. We were seeing a view usually reserved for soaring birds.

Beautiful view from the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

The only problem? We were crossing the bridge in line behind an elderly woman taking very small steps. Very. Slow. Small. Steps. All I wanted to do was get us across before my sensitive and anxious child had a complete meltdown. She had been a little nervous on the cliff walk earlier, but she’d handled it like a champ.

Now? Not so much.

It was time for us to employ coping strategies and survive this dealio. I took her hand and we started talking. We talked about how the cables supported us. We discussed the beauty of the view. It was mentioned that mom and dad wouldn’t take her on something that was truly going to hurt us. I told her that I wasn’t comfortable on the bridge either, but I knew it would hold us.

Our first look at the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Finally. Security and solid ground were under us again. We had made it across the most challenging bridge of my life. Whew.

We high fived and patted each other on the back. Then, my wheels-are-always-turning child looked around and asked, “How do we get back to the parking lot?” When I told her the only way was back over the bridge, I had one not-thrilled child on my hands.

I realized I had made a big mistake in parenting. I didn’t give my child the time she needed to work through a scary situation and make the best of it. In the end, it all worked out. We talked for a while about the trip back over the bridge, and how we needed to handle the situation. In the end, the trip back across was a whole lot better, and we enjoyed our day at an incredible park. I learned some important lessons about how to help children face their fears that day.

My crew on the Cliff Walk.

How to Help Children Face Their Fears Before an event

1. Discuss the child’s thoughts before the event.

We are planning a cruise in the near future. After our last cruise, which had no problems, my son has suddenly said he doesn’t want to cruise again. Through multiple discussions, we’ve realized that the muster drill has scared him and he’s afraid of the boat sinking.

Entering the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

Discussing his fear ahead of time is giving us plenty of time to work out what is bothersome about the upcoming adventure. We are working with him now to help him understand how safe cruising is. We are also helping him come up with a game plan for if there is a problem. He’s still not thrilled about the whole idea, but he’s coming around to the idea and starting to get excited. (Good thing, too! We’ve already paid the deposit! :P)

Native artifacts in the Park.

2. Come up with a plan to handle the fear.

If you know you are planning a challenging activity, discuss the activity with your child. Come up with a game plan for handling his or her fear during the event. At the Capilano, once we were across the bridge, we couldn’t leave the park without crossing the bridge again. We had to face that fear a second time.

I’ll admit it. I failed to prepare my girlie for that fact. She was NOT a happy camper when she realized she had to cross the bridge again. We would have had a much better time if I’d helped her talk through a game plan on how to handle crossing the bridge twice. If she’d known how strong the bridge was, or how few people have had problems, she would have been more comfortable. That was all information we could have easily found ahead of time.

Ready for adventure after entering the park!

3. Start small and build up to the event.

Suspension bridges, rock climbing, and other challenging adventures that you’ll come across while traveling with your kiddos can be scary. However, you can help your children prepare for these challenges by starting small. Before tackling a rock wall at the top of a cruise ship, take your kids to an indoor climbing facility. If you’re going to be crossing a bridge like the Capilano, take them to a natural ropes course and let them feel the instability of the bridge.

An overlook on the Cliff Walk.

One of the biggest things that made making it across the Capilano possible was that we’ve had several years of indoor climbing and ropes course experience. My children have learned to trust the ropes, and that was a major factor in helping my girl across the bridge. I was able to point to the cables and talk about how they were even stronger than all the ropes we’ve used before. That information helped her visibly relax during our first trip across the bridge.

An owl in the birds of prey part of the park.

How to help children face their fears during an event

4. Talk through their thoughts.

When a child is expressing fear during an event or adventure, keep them talking. Listen to what is concerning him or her. Don’t just try to put their mind to rest, but listen to exactly what they are saying. Fear is a normal reaction to danger, and a very useful tool in our lives. Learning how to feel, analyze, and respond to fear is an important skill. Once you’ve listened to their fear, guide them though it with leading questions that help them do the analyzing.

The Nature’s Edge Boardwalk on the other side of the main bridge.

Part of the boardwalk through the woods.

Example: My daughter said she was afraid the bridge couldn’t hold our weight. I was able to discuss a sign with her that showed the bridge held several tons of weight when a tree fell on it several years before. Hearing that information that specifically addressed her fear was able to make her more comfortable with the situation.

5. Admit your fears.

It’s ok to say that you’re scared or intimidated as well. When we were on the Capilano bridge, I was not very thrilled, either. I am a huge fan of stable and firm footing! However, I didn’t hide that fact. While we were talking, I told my daughter that I felt fear too, but I was working to handle it just like she was.

Lesli, the Crazy Homeschool Life publisher, on the Cliff Walk.

When we reached the end, we celebrated our crossing together. We were able to share in both the scary circumstance, and the triumph of living through the challenge. A year later, she celebrated with me when I was able to send her a picture of me crossing a different scary Canadian bridge. We share that bond of fear and triumph, and that only makes our relationship stronger.

6. Never force a child to do something they aren’t comfortable with if there is a way out.

With the Capilano bridge, we had no way out. We were already more than halfway across when we realized just how scared my daughter was, and there wasn’t an option to get back to our parking lot. As parents, we can not anticipate every single thing that our kids might balk at.

The blossom of the Salmonberry bush.

Salmonberries in the woods.

However, if there’s a way out, it’s ok to let our children face an obstacle another day. When they know we will listen to them and respect their choice to decline, they will trust us more in the long run.

Facing and conquering a fear has to come from inside a child to truly grow their strength. Life is going to throw scary things their way, and sometimes they will simply have to cope. Sometimes they’ll choose to face the challenge, and that is when they are going to see the most growth and strength. That is the true treasure of facing a fear.

How to Help your Children Grow from Facing their fears after the event

7. Celebrate the successes.

Life is a challenge. It’s hard, and as our kids grow up there are going to be scary moments. When you’re traveling, it may be as simple as crossing a bridge or handling a challenging hike. Five or ten years down the road the scary moment may be getting into the right college or facing a health issue.

Our family on the Cliff Walk.

Strong, resilient adults are built one challenge and success at a time. If a child knows that they can face a challenge and thrive, they are growing their personal confidence. Walking across a bridge 400 feet in the air may not seem like a big deal to some, but to my little girl it made a huge difference. Several times in the last year she’s said, “If I can do that bridge, I can do this!” When you help children face their fears, the rewards pay off for a lifetime.

Crossing a small bridge in the Treetop Adventure.

Learn more about travel to British Columbia:

– Want to learn more about the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Vancouver? Check out the Vancouver Moon Travel Guide at this link.

– Vancouver with Kids 5-Day Travel Itinerary

– Vancouver Winter Activities

– Vancouver & the Canadian Rockies Road Trip Planner

– 7-Day Best of Vancouver and Victoria Itinerary

– Discover a World of Vacation Opportunities in Vancouver & Victoria

25 Incredible and Interesting Shark Books for Kids

Kids love learning about sharks. Extend your child’s learning about these great creatures with this list of incredible shark books for kids!

Affiliate links are included in this post.

There’s something special about these predators that lurk in depths of the world’s oceans, helping to keep our planet healthy. Help your child learn about their life cycles, food supply, anatomy, habitats, and more with these intruiging books.

Shark Books for Kids in Preschool

It’s never to early to cultivate a curiosity and love of learning in a child. Make your quiet time or bedtime reading interesting with these simple books that introduce the idea of sharks to young readers. With a little spark, your teeny tot may end up being the next great marine biologist!

My Little Golden Book About Sharks

Hark! A Shark!: All About Sharks

Shark Books for Kids Learning to Read

Studies have shown children are more interested in reading if they are reading about subjects that interest them. Use a curiosity about sharks to help your child practice reading with these leveled reading books.

Big Shark, Little Shark (Step into Reading)

Amazing Sharks! (I Can Read Level 2)

National Geographic Readers: Sharks! (Science Reader Level 2)

Hungry, Hungry Sharks (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3)

Sharks! (Animal Planet Chapter Books 1)

Shark Books for Kids Who LOVE Science and Sharks

Sharks are incredible creatures and there is a limitless amount of information to learn about them. Open the world of sharks to your children with these interseting, in-depth books that cover almost every aspect of learning about sharks.

The Best Book of Sharks

Amazing Animals: Sharks

Sharks (Discovery Kids – Family Reference Guide)

National Geographic Kids Everything Sharks

The Ultimate Book of Sharks

Super Shark Encyclopedia

Discovery Channel Sharkopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Shark

Sharks and Other Deadly Ocean Creatures Visual Encyclopedia

Shark Books for Kids about Shark Scientists

How do we know so much about these cool creatures? Someone has to get out and study these beasts of the sea. What were their lives like? Learn about some of the scientists who study these amazing predators.

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

The Great White Shark Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series)

Nicole: The true story of a Great White Shark’s journey into history

Shark Books for Kids with Stickers and Activities

Extend your child’s learning about sharks with activities and art. A child who sees and then colors a Tiger Shark will always be able to identify it much better then one who simply sees a shark in a YouTube video!

National Geographic Kids Sharks Sticker Activity Book

Sharks: 101 Super Fun Facts And Amazing Pictures (Featuring The World’s Top 10 Sharks With Coloring Pages)

Sharks! Coloring Book (Dover Nature Coloring Book)

Fiction Shark Books For Kids

Every shark has its own story to tell. Bring some to life for your kids with these interesting stories about the sea, written for your child’s reading level.

Shadow of the Shark

Magic Tree House Fact Tracker 32: Sharks and Other Predators: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #53: Shadow of the Shark

Shark Island
(This book comes with a caveat. In the book, the native residents of the island are referred to as “savage natives.” It might be wise to discuss this reference and the attitude behind the reference with your child after reading.)

The Sands of Shark Island (School Ship Tobermory)
(Second in a series. This doesn’t deal as closely with sharks, but has a large emphasis on seafaring. Not related to Shark Island.)

How to Use Shark Books for Kids in Your Relaxed Unit Studies

As a busy homeschool mom, I am use Relaxed Unit Studies regularly to enhance and extend our family’s learning experience. Visit this link to learn more about using this easy type of unit study in your family’s homeschool experience.

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Space exploration is all about rocket science and adventure. Cultivate your child's curiosity with this list of books highlighting the U.S. space program.

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